New Report Says FBI Paid Less Than $1 Million to Unlock San Bernardino Shooter's iPhone

Last week, FBI director James Comey hinted at how much the agency paid to unlock San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook's iPhone, saying it cost more than he will make in the next seven years and four months. The number worked out to around $1.3 million, as Comey's annual salary is $183,000. However, sources now tell Reuters that the amount was actually under $1 million.

iphone5c

Although the FBI says it will keep the technique it used to unlock Farook's iPhone 5c a secret, sources tell Reuters that the agency can use the method on other iPhone 5c's running iOS 9. The FBI has physical possession of the mechanism used to unlock the phone and does not need to pay the contractor any more money for further uses.

The contractor responsible for the method is a closely-held secret within the FBI, with Comey being in the dark himself, according to Reuters' sources. In mid-April, it was reported that the FBI hired "professional hackers," at least one of which is a gray hat researcher that sells flaws to governments, black market groups or surveillance companies.

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Tag: Apple-FBI

Top Rated Comments

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peterh988

46 months ago

"can you do it for $999,999? I need to get my boss to sign off on anything a million or over"

Rating: 8 Votes

pdaholic

46 months ago

Good thing I give half my paycheck to the government so they have plenty of money to pi$$ away.

Rating: 5 Votes

Urban Joe

46 months ago

I can report that I paid less than 1 million dollars to unlock my iPhone SE.

Rating: 4 Votes

pika2000

46 months ago

Again, false news reporting. The FBI does not pay anything. It's not their money to begin with. It's the American taxpayers' money.

How could anybody keep caring about this?

On the contrary, how could nobody realised that they (taxpayers) are sponsoring the FBI to do this whole thing in the first place?

Rating: 4 Votes

dwhittington

46 months ago

The number worked out to around $1.3 million, as Comey's annual salary ('https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/') is $183,000. However, sources now tell ('http://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-encryption-idUSKCN0XQ032') Reuters that the amount was actually under $1 million.

Maybe they cut his salary to make the numbers work out.

Rating: 3 Votes

JustThinkin'

46 months ago

I'm not surprised. I figured he was thinking of the salary he actually sees, not what he makes before taxes. I was a bit surprised when MR assumed such precise math on the story in the first place.

Rating: 2 Votes

dannyyankou

46 months ago

And they got pretty much no information out of it.

Rating: 2 Votes

JosephAW

46 months ago

Yeah, they paid $20 to my 10 year old brother to unlock it. Of course they took out the tax so he ended up with $5

Rating: 2 Votes

Mac Fly (film)

46 months ago

Lord we don't care what they paid. Like all past Presidents they are above the law and do what they like without consequence so most these stories are completely irrelevant.

Rating: 2 Votes

JustThinkin'

46 months ago

Yeah, they paid $20 to my 10 year old brother to unlock it. Of course they took out the tax so he ended up with $5

Thanks - that's the most I've LOL at a post in a long time!

Rating: 2 Votes

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